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Cuba's remote Baracoa really has it all, for plenty of awe-inspiring experiences. It has Cuba's biggest rivers, mystical jungle mountains, biodiverse tropical wildlife, hillside plantations of coffee & chocolate (cacao), secluded beaches, coral reefs, the longest history, ancient traditions, vibrant culture and general spellbinding charisma.
Baracoa City is situated on a bay close to the eastern tip of the island of Cuba where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Founded in 1512 by Diego Velazquez, Baracoa is Cuba's oldest European settlement. Things are pretty laid back in this town and the abundance of palm trees along this coast give it a South Pacific feel.
The fact that this was an important Spanish outpost is evidenced by the three impressive forts: Fuerte Matachin, now housing the museo municipal; Fuerte de la Punta, now refitted with a restaurant; and El Castillo de Seboruco, which is now a pleasant hotel.
On calle Antonio Maceo, you'll find people queuing for hot chocolate drinks in the baking tropical sun at the Casa del Chocolate, opposite is a lovely Casa de la Trova, holding rooftop performances and you can't forget to visit Plaza Independencia (it is the focal point for community life in the city), Yunque de Baracoa and The Stone Zoo, which comprises a multitude of stone animals.
More info can be found at baracoa.org


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Here is some good news and possibly some bad news for iPhone 3G users. According to @MuscleNerd's tweet, the Ultrasn0w unlock for baseband 06.15 will be permanent.
Because there's no 4.3 beta for iPhone3G, it's effectively unlocked for life via the 06.15 ultrasn0w unlock
However, here is the bad news. This means that iPhone 3G users will not get the iOS 4.3 update and will possibly be locked out of any future updates coming from Apple too.
The iPhone 3G was launched around 3 years ago, so it makes sense for Apple to remove support for the device considering that they might launch the iPhone 5 this year.
So have fun with your unlocked for life iPhone 3G but don't expect any new goodies from Apple.

subset: commoncrawl


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St. Charles resident and local golf pro Rick Bell gained teaching certification in February with the PGA of America, becoming one of a small minority of certified pros in the state. Bell is no stranger to the Tri-Cities golf scene, having spent parts of his extensive career working at Pottawatomie, Pheasant Run and, currently, Mill Creek. Bell has worked at several other courses throughout northern Illinois over the years, now splitting his instructional time between Mill Creek and Water's Edge Golf Club in Worth. In this week's Weekend Chit-chat with Chronicle sports editor Jay Schwab, Bell – who is next pursuing master professional status – discusses his recent certification, the key to being an effective golf pro and more. The following is an edited transcript:
How big of a moment in your golf career was attaining your certification?
I would say it was the third most important thing. … Probably No. 1 was when I got my membership in the PGA, just Class A status, got my apprenticeship out of the way. … No. 2 was the work that I started and continued working with children with disabilities. I've been a longtime supporter of Special Olympics. When I was working up in Elgin, we got started working with kids with disabilities, doing free clinics for the kids. … I wanted to do whatever I could to if nothing else just show them a good time.
Is it more typical for someone to come to you and say 'Hey, I need to rebuild my swing from scratch' or more common that someone has a more specific area that they want to troubleshoot?
The second. We get beginners, and we teach them not only privately but we teach them in group sessions as well, but if you were to come to me, there are several questions I need to ask you, not only just to break the ice, but I need to know where you're coming from. One of the questions I would ask is 'Why are you here? Why are you coming to see me?' And they usually start out by saying 'Well, I hit my drives to the right' or 'I slice the ball, and I'd like to get that under control.' But then they'll say 'My short game's a little bit weak, too,' and then pretty soon they've got this whole litany of things that they've rattled off, so they're not really focused in on one thing. But generally it's not the case where someone comes up to me and says 'I've never played before and I want to learn to play.' There are other times when people who do play say 'You know, I've been at this for 25 years and I'm no better than I was and I need some help, and I'll do whatever you tell me to.' Those are the people you love to have because you know you can take a little longer-term approach toward their learning rather than just putting a Band-Aid on them, a quick fix.
Aside from having the actual golf acumen, what characteristic would you say is most important for a golf instructor – patience, or something else?
Two things – learning theory and patience. In any exchange of information between a student and a teacher, there are two sides. There's the teacher who has knowledge and information that he imparts to the student, but the student has to absorb that and understand it. Here's where a lot of amateurs and lesser teachers, people who are maybe even golf professionals who happen to teach some as well as amateurs who might have a pretty good eye, what they don't really understand and know enough about is it's far more important what you understand than what I tell you. You have to really understand learning theory and how people learn if you're going to be a really effective teacher.
Do you find that golfers are more concerned with how they're hitting the ball and the actual quality of play or shaving five or 10 strokes off their round? I know those go hand-in-hand to an extent.
A lot of students come in and maybe they shoot 105, and they say 'If I can just break 100, I'd be happy.' Well, that's going to make them happy for a short while, but then they're going to want to break 90. So score is important to some people but now you have to really get involved in teaching them not to think about score, and that's very difficult. I was working with a guy this morning and he says, 'You know, I get out there on 15 or 16, and I know exactly what my score is and I know exactly what I need to do to shoot a certain number,' and he's totally divorced himself from what he needs to be doing to play in the moment. … Most people are quite frankly very poor players of the game if they want to score. They take way, way too many risks, and part of playing the game is being able to evaluate the situation you're in, if necessary reframe that situation, and then start looking at a risk/reward situation and saying 'How can I make 5 here rather than 6 or 7?'
Occasionally you hear about people, whether they're younger golfers or whatever age, experiencing burnout, having to step away for a while, and maybe they end up getting back in it later. With golf being a profession and a scholarly activity for you, have you experienced burnout?
Yeah, I think everybody kind of has ups and downs. Sometimes, I'd say as often as not, they kind of come and go weekly. But I had a problem that I had to get over because the words "golf professional" follow my name. I was guilty for a long time of – everybody that I played with thought I was going to go out and shoot a 67 every time I walked on the golf course, so I couldn't enjoy myself and just go out and play golf, and if I shot 79, so what? I passed my playing ability test. I know at some point or another I can play, I don't have to prove it again, why can't I just go out and enjoy myself? It was hard for me. I shot a lot of big scores when I went out … One of my favorite phrases is "Golf is a game, and games are supposed to be fun." And it just wasn't fun. And so I got out of the business for basically three years and sold pianos.


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With my dad: Dr. L. Roy Wilcox - mathematician, linguist, musician, carpenter, electrician (FYI: he built that organ from a kit, but designed all the bells and whistles himself). Wilmette, Cook, Illinois, ca. 1981.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Wordless Wednesday - 16 June 2010 - Another Wilcox Photo
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I don't mind the NFL cracking down on wild behavior and making sure that the NFL is not disgraced by a few poor behaving individuals. It makes sense to have tough consequences for unacceptable behavior and my hope is that it would serve as a deterrent.
However, making players cut their hair to a certain length is positively ridiculous. It is an unnecessary rule – there is no reason I can think of that this would be needed. In fact, I think a solid argument could be made that some of the longest haired players are the very same ones who best embody what the NFL likely wants to stand for: hard-working, committed, rule-abiding atheletes (Al Harris, Atari Bigby, Troy Polamalu, Mark Gastineau).
Bigby was quoted yesterday saying this is ridiculous and frankly, I'm not sure what he'd do if he were told he had to cut it. As many know, he is a rastafarian who grew up in Jamaica and contended last night on TMJ 4 news that it would be against his religion to cut his dreads. There are others too who I'm sure would rather not cut their hair. It just doesn't make a difference at all and I can't think of any reason to enforce such a rule. In a sense, this may be a case of Goodell getting power-happy – kind of like the retail store manager who starts out as a lowly employee at $6 and hour and works her way up to assistant manager, then manager at which time she gets to wear the colorful, circular key chain thing around her arm and make arbitrary decisions based on her belief that her she now can do anything with her newfound position of power.


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What recommendations/strategies do you have for gathering documentation fast so we can bill quicker under PDGM?
Homecare Q&A, September 21, 2018
This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login.
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Today was a successful Memorial Day, mostly. It started out with me being woken up by a customer. I had a choice if I was going to pick up the phone or not since it's WEEKEND support and not HOLIDAY support, but I did anyway. Hey, it's a guaranteed $50 on my next paycheck!
Anyhow, while working on that customer's issue (moved an encrypted filesystem mount, but didn't move the keys with it), my wife came in with breakfast consisting of breakfast burritos (homemade) and a big glass of milk. Damn, I love that woman! So after that happened, we sat down and watched some tube together (which isn't a tube anymore… one of those terms that's just around still) until about 11. Then the kid and I ran down to one of the local cemeteries for one of the Memorial Day shows.
When that was done, we got home, I put him down for a nap, then I chilled for a bit. By chilled, I mean I washed a ton of dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and cleaned up outside where I still had a bunch of crap from cleaning up the garden. The previous homeowners didn't use it for anything so it was in REALLY rough shape. However, now it's a pretty likeable garden again!
You can see the CLEAN part off on the left. The really green part of the garden… are WEEDS. Almost entirely blindweed and a second, as yet undetermined weed covering it. They WERE covering the entire garden. I've since cleaned out most of those remaining weeds as well. Probably about 5-6 hours of work, but worth it. Once they're pulled out, the entire garden will be manageable. If you look to the back of the picture, 2 rows to the right of the bucket, you'll see larger plants. Those are our potatoes and they're doing amazing. There are weeds around them still, but that's it. The rest have been cleaned out since that picture was taken.
The wife and I had invited some friends over for dinner, so we got the kid up, changed, dressed, and ready. When they got here, we finished out the day eating some T-Bones, corn, and potato salad. We sat around talking while the kids (my boy and his girl who is not yet a year old) played in the kiddie pool. No pics of his kid because hey, it's HIS kid!
I filled up the pool earlier in the morning. One huge difference between Ohio and Utah is that Utah has very cold water in comparison. Even the faucet water is MUCH much colder! By the time we were eating (about 5-6 hours), the water temperature in the kiddie pool raised to a respectable room temperature level!
My kid learned that if he walked over to the driveway and squatted down in his swim diaper after being in the pool, he could 'paint' with the water on the concrete.
Time to head out, but I figure this is worth mentioning. I saved it for last, even though it was just after the bagpipe show. We went and found a WWII vet's gravestone.
No, we don't have any idea who the fellow was. All that matter was that he stepped forward when his nation called.
Yes, it took some prompting, but since he saw quite a few salutes already, he only had to be shown once! Here he is showing his respects to SSgt Heindel.
One thing that I noticed as we were leaving the cemetery today is that I saw a TON of WWII headstones almost all dated post-2000. Our WWII and Korea vets are dying at an alarming rate. That's what happens with old age, I suppose. There are fewer and fewer veterans around from that era, folks. They're called "The Greatest Generati0n" and if you asked, most people couldn't tell you why. Find a WWII vet (or any vet for that matter) and ask them their stories! There's a lot to learn from them if we just ask the right questions. Learn from them so you can properly remember them when it's too late to learn any more.
Thank you to every person that's served and an even bigger THANK YOU to every person that served and can no longer read this. Your sacrifices are the reason I was able to enjoy today with my son and wife.


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It's Your Prom! Make it Safe, Healthy, and Fun
Prom is one of the highlights of high school. While planning and enjoying the big night, make smart decisions to help keep it safe, low-stress, and fun! If you or someone you know is going to the prom, here are a few tips for a great experience.
Look and Feel Awesome
Get in shape slowly and wisely
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, eat less junk food (foods and drinks high in calories, saturated fat, salt, or added sugar), and don't crash-diet. Choose drinks with no or low calories and fat. Water is always a great option.
Find fun ways to stay active, such as walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, and more. Be active for 60 minutes a day most days of the week. Get plenty of sleep.
Protect your skin
Enjoy the skin you're in, and protect it. You don't need a tan to be beautiful, and you definitely don't need sunburn! Just a few serious sunburns can increase your risk for skin cancer later in life. Make sure you protect yourself from the harmful effects of UV rays, and avoid indoor and outdoor tanning. Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
Follow directions, cautions, and warnings on products
If you're changing hairstyles, hair color, and using new cosmetics or products, carefully follow all directions, cautions, and warnings on the label. Dyes and relaxers can hurt skin, hair, and eyes. Never dye eyebrows or eyelashes, as it might cause blindness. Always test a product in a small area of your body first. Allergies may happen the first time or after multiple uses. For some people, using cosmetics may cause itching, redness, rash, sneezing, or wheezing. Stop using the product if problems develop, and remove all products before bedtime to prevent skin and eye irritation. If in doubt, let the professionals handle it.
Wear appropriate shoes
High heels may be in style, but they can increase your chances of falling if they're too high or uncomfortable, or not something you usually wear. Prevent injury and wear appropriate shoes that won't affect how you walk or dance.
- Healthy Weight
- Physical Activity
- Skin Cancer Awareness: Protect Your Skin
- CosmeticsExternal (FDA)
- Take Charge of Your Health for TeensExternal (NIH)
Stress Less
Watch your budget
If cost is an issue, look for alternatives to spending a lot of money. Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better.
Plan ahead for safety
Tell family members or a trusted adult what your plans are ahead of time. Make an agreement with friends to check on one another during the evening. Be sure someone you trust is available for you to call if your plans change or you need help.
Remember you don't need a date to have fun
Whether you plan to go with a date, with friends, or on your own, the point is to have a good time. Going with a group or meeting friends at the event can be just as fun as going with one special person. Whether you're going solo or with a group, make sure you don't drink and drive, or ride with someone who has been drinking.
Protect Yourself and Your Friends
Just say no
Some people feel pressured to drink, smoke, use drugs, or have sex on prom night. However, drinking is responsible for over 4,500 deaths among young people each year and is associated with other problems like sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy. Alcohol and drugs hurt your judgment and may result in you being harmed or harming others. Just because others do something doesn't make it a good idea or right for you. It's OK to say no.
Travel safely
Teen drivers are four times more likely than older drivers to crash. Always wear a safety belt — no matter how short the trip. Don't drink and drive, and don't get in a car with a driver who has been drinking.
Watch out for dating violence
Dating violence is a very real issue for many people. This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples. It can occur in couples who have been together a long time and between people who just met. Many teens do not report it because they are afraid to tell friends and family. The abuse can be verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual. Know beforehand what your sexual boundaries are, and communicate those to your partner. Respect yourself and others, avoid alcohol and drugs, and tell family or call 911 if you or someone you know is being abused or is in danger.
Plan for after-prom parties
If you plan to go to an after-prom party, be sure it is adult-supervised. Be aware of your surroundings. And it's always good to go with a "buddy". Avoid using alcohol and drugs.
Make sure parents know where you are at all times in case of emergency. Call a parent, guardian, or someone you trust in case plans change or you need help.
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
- Teen Dating Violence
- Vital Signs: Teen Drinking and Driving
- Safe Teen Driving


text: "漂亮的女孩受骗的"是一部精彩娱乐HD视频短片。我的cute girlfriend who is a学生专门spends小时阅读《books and排斥在学习各种subjects。今天我有一个新subject I want to她探索和主和这是肛门性。她不,美女手把手教你戴安全套,美女手办,美女手办 动漫,美女手办 日本,美女手办 寿屋 - 英文简介:My cute girlfriend is a devoted student who spends hours reading the books and studying various subjects. Today I have a new subject I want her to explore and master and that is anal sex. She doesn't want to play at first, but my wet dick head pressing against her pink anus and slowly making its way inside makes her reconsider her plans for the night. I never heard my honey scream and cum so loud, but I definitely wanna hear it again when we have anal sex for the next time.


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Call: 0333 222 0420
There are four Allure models from the 508 SW range. It is available in diesel and petrol engines with automatic and manual transmissions. In testing, this trim level of the 508 SW was capable of returning fuel efficiency figures of 63.6mpg combined (1.5l Bluehdi Allure 130 S&S) and CO2 figures of 124g/km (1.5l Bluehdi Allure 130 S&S).
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Barbara J. Olinzock has been awarded an Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award for 2008. Dr. Olinzock is an Assistant Professor in Nursing in the Brooks College of Health and teaches in psychiatric, rehabilitative, community and nursing science courses.
Dr. Olinzock believes the aim of nursing education is to prepare nurses to value evidence-based practice, critical thinking, and self-directed lifelong learning. She has effectively incorporated her evidence-based experience and research with her teaching of undergraduate nursing students.
Dr. Olinzock has contributed to a body of knowledge in the area of evidence-based patient education, including the research development of a learning readiness educational model for use by undergraduate nursing students to teach rehabilitation patients. Currently, Dr. Olinzock continues this research as a Brooks Research Professor.
Using her evidence-based learning readiness model as a guide, she has enacted innovative learning activities that are student-centered and tailored to the diverse learning challenges among traditional prelicensure, accelerated prelicensure, and RN-BSN learners. She engages student learning through the use of a collaborative student-focused teaching style based upon self-directed learning principles.Students highly respect Dr. Olinzock as reflected by outstanding course and clinical evaluations. She is viewed as a teacher who is enthusiastic, caring, and role models what she teaches. In faculty peer evaluations she is recognized for her ability to go beyond lecture format and challenge the thinking of students through novel learning activities, class discussion, and reflection.Dr. Olinzock graduated with a BSN and MSN in Nursing from Wayne State University and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from University of North Florida.


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J.R. Smith destroys Kris Humphries with Kanye West tweet
Things are going well for the Brooklyn Nets lately, winning 10 of 12 games since P.J. Carlesimo took over as head coach, including Monday night's win over the rival Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
However, the same can't be said for Nets big man Kris Humphries.
The 27-year-old has spent the last two seasons enduring ruthless taunts regarding his failed 72-day marriage in 2011 with socialite Kim Kardashian and recently, the news that she's pregnant with Kanye West's child.
But he's not just getting grief from fans.
After Monday's win, Humphries tweeted: "Big game tonight! The Garden got really quiet on the way out! #Brooklyn"
This was a layup for Knicks guard J.R. Smith, who responded: "Wasnt quiet when Kanye tore it down last month!"
Bold move by Smith, considering he was the one who missed a shot at the buzzer with the chance to tie the game.
Smith's jabs came just a day after sister Khloe Kardashian made harsh comments to Kim about her estranged husband on the season premiere of Kourtney & Kim Take Miami.
Notably: "If you ever come across someone who barks for most of his words, don't date him."


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Behind the calm waters and golden sands, the Fraser Coast Hinterland boasts quaint country towns that are punctuated with top-notch restaurants, wineries and lush landscapes.
Tempt your taste buds with local produce - from olives to crayfish - and sample your way around the Hinterland. If you're feeling adventurous, grab a bargain at the Apple Tree Creek markets and picnic under the shady eucalyptus trees at Wongi Waterholes with a bottle of chilled Moffatdale chardonnay. If you prefer to wine and dine (emphasis on the wine), take a sip (or two) at the many wineries, vineyards and breweries scattered in the rolling green hills.


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Margaret Atwood's long-awaited sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale" is not even in bookstores yet, but producers of the Hulu series based on the original novel are already in talks to bring it to the screen in some form.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Hulu and MGM TV are working with "The Handmaid's Tale" showrunner Bruce Miller to see how "The Testaments," scheduled for release next week, can "serve as an extension of the show."
It is not yet clear exactly what form that would take, but the Hulu adaptation of Atwood's 1985 novel starring Elisabeth Moss has already moved far beyond the end of the book's narrative in its first three seasons. Atwood suggested to Entertainment Weekly characters from "The Testaments," which is set 15 years after the first book, could be worked into the show in future seasons.
"The story of the characters in the show at the moment is left open, so it's up to Bruce and the highly competent writing team as to how they get those people into position," she said.
Time, which featured Atwood on this week's cover, reported "The Testaments" follows two new characters—one young woman living in the misogynistic dystopia of Gilead and a teen living free in Canada—and Aunt Lydia, a villainous character from the first novel played by Ann Dowd in the Hulu series.
Hulu and MGM executives praised Atwood's work, though they offered few details regarding their plans for the new book.
"She has been an incredible creative partner and resource to MGM throughout the production of Handmaid's and we look forward to working with her on the story's exciting next chapter," Steve Stark, MGM's president of television production, said in a statement.
Hulu has already ordered a fourth season of "The Handmaid's Tale." "The Testaments," hitting stores September 10, has been shortlisted for the 2019 Booker Prize for Fiction.


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HTS Theological Studies
On-line version ISSN 2072-8050
Print version ISSN 0259-9422
Herv. teol. stud. vol.68 n.2 Pretoria Jan. 2012
(Gender) partnership as a transforming paradigm for development in the Church and society
Ester Onwunta; Karel T. August
Department of Practical Theology and Missiology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
This research article made the case for (gender) partnership as an integral part of effective people-centred participatory development theory. Over the years, development has been taught and practiced in different ways. In the contemporary African context, it is a term that is frequently used and even misused by many people and organisations that are involved in development programmes, which truncate rather than transform the people and communities they claim to develop. This article presented a brief survey of some definitions and views on development and argued for a holistic approach to development, one which is anchored on partnership as an essential element in God's mission; that is, the missio Dei. It highlighted the reasons for, ideals of and obstacles to true partnership in development.
Development is about change - a change that affects people and things in society. Therefore:
social change is at the heart of the mission of the church where both men and women, being equally created in the image of God, benefit and are restored to full humanity. (Haddad 2003:430)
Consequently, development is a process of social change in which gender is a strategic marker and partnership is central to any discussion on the mission of the Church. In pursuing such a discussion, the task before contemporary African theology and development experts is to opt for the understanding of mission as 'church with others' and 'missio Dei', as expounded by David Bosch (1991). This new understanding is an attempt to locate mission in Africa as both a holistic and an engaging enterprise. Therefore, the aim of this article is to highlight the point that, in the African setting (cf. Bediako 2004:104), the role of women (the other) in development, and therefore partnership, is essential if development is going to be effective.
This point is at the heart of the mission of God - the missio Dei - and underscores the necessity for sound theological framework in the Church's engagement in any development process in Africa. As Bosch (1991) explains:
Since God's concern is for the entire world, this should also be the scope of the missio Dei. It affects all people in all aspects of their existence. Mission is God's turning to the world in respect of creation, care, redemption and consummation. (p. 391)
To this end, Rose Teteki Abbey (2001), a Ghanaian theologian, has suggested that African theologians need to examine African traditional metaphors of God, which are inclusive and have a sense of partnership in them. She has therefore come up with an example from the Ga people of southern Ghana, arguing that:
God is traditionally known as Ataa Naa Nyonmo. This name does not only mean Father Mother God, it also implies and stresses maleness and femaleness of God. Seeing God as Father and mother emphasizes the creative power of God as opposed to the macho image which gives the idea of controlling power. Although the Ga Christians have adopted and use this name, its etymology has little impact on their image of God. (p. 141)
Herein lies the challenge: How can our understanding of God engender our sense of partnership in the development of human society? The point we are making here is that a holistic development of human society can only be realised through the partnership of women and men. As such, our argument is that ministry as partnership is necessary, not only for the Church as koinonia:
but also to enable the Church to provide a model for society, which is grappling with the same issues of shared responsibility and accountability between its leaders and its people. (Kanyoro 1996b:156)
This is especially true in Africa, where political and ecclesiastical leaders focus, all too frequently, on their own needs and are heedless of the common good of both sexes. This leads us to the subject of this article, which is the meaning of development in the Church and society and the option of partnership.
What is development?
Development is obviously a complex and slow-moving process involving people, on the one hand, and the factors of production and organisation on the other. For Burkey (1993:39), 'It is obviously not a simple matter of an investment project here and a training programme there'. So there can be no fixed and final definition of development; but we can make suggestions of what development should imply in particular contexts. Thus, in the context of gender and development in South Africa, Haddad (2003) has clearly stated that:
In order for the church to play any meaningful role in the development of communities, there need[s] to be a sound theoretical understanding of 'development'. Development, however, is not neutral but is a gender issue. Theoretical issues of gender and development need to be understood within the context of extreme poverty experienced by poor and marginalized South African women. (p. 427) In general terms, the ultimate purpose and practical foundation of development involves structural transformation of people and objects. As also observed by Bronkema, Lumsdaine and Payne (1998:110), development needs to be concerned with building and cultivating human persons and communities as wholes.
For that reason, Carmen (1996) has cautioned that:
It is demeaning, dehumanizing and, therefore eminently anti-development to define people by what they are not: ignorant, illiterate, poor, powerless ... Development starts from the other end: from the power in the powerless, from the literacy (and oracy) in the illiteracy, from the ability in disability, from the formal in what the owners of development refer to as non-formal and informal. In other words, it sets out from where people are. (p. xii)
In a similar vein, Wilson and Ramphele (1989) have this to say:
... genuine development work is that which empowers people; which enables them to build organizations that, like a hydroelectric dam, pool their resources and generate power where previously there was none. (p. 262)
Another definition that affirms the above is one which was issued by the United Nations (1982) in their report on development:
... to connote the process by which the efforts of the people themselves are united with those of the government authorities to improve the economic, social and cultural conditions of communities, to integrate these communities into the life of the nation and to contribute fully to the national progress. This complex of processes is, therefore made up of two essential elements: the participation of the people themselves in an effort to improve their living, with as much reliance as possible on their own initiative; and the provision of technical and other services in ways which encourage initiative, self-help and make those more effective. (n.p.)
In effect, it is development that is participatory, self-reliant and people-centred. The participation of people themselves in their own development is both an essential part of human growth and a process whereby the people themselves become aware of, and understand, their problems and the social reality within which they live in order to effect lasting change at grassroots level themselves (August 1999:24). Through this process of conscientisation, people become aware of their own needs. They can embark upon self-reliant ventures where they themselves feel that they are contributing the maximum human, material and financial resources relative to their ability.
Hardly can we achieve this developmental success in our human communities without the partnership of men and women. But as we know, the road of partnership between women and men is not easy and there are still many obstacles to overcome. Indeed, there are still many chains to be broken as we strive to foster and authenticate partnerships between men and women which build and sustain gender justice in the Church and the wider society. According to Sheerattan-Bisnauth1 (2004):
For decades women have been working to educate the world that gender injustice is a critical issue in underdevelopment and that it hinders peace and justice. Yet today, despite the great threats to life and growing instability, gender justice is still marginal to many people who hold power in church and society. We are living in a world where there is growing perception that conservative values and notions are rising and efforts to address gender injustices are being increasingly challenged. Gender justice is one of the slowest developments in the world (including the church). (p. 7)
How do we wriggle ourselves out of the shackles of gender injustice in development? How can we engender the spirit of true partnership between men and women in order to deal with the menace of gender injustice in church and society? What should be the ideals of such a partnership? What problems should we be aware of as we seek to engage in the process of building a true partnership between men and women in the Church and in communities in Africa and beyond? These are some of the questions on which we reflect below.
Why partnership?
One may ask: Why partnership? It is obvious that in our world today partnership is needed if we must move forward as a human community in our social, political, economic and religious lives. Below are some of the reasons why we should engage in partnership. Edet and Ekeya (1989:9) have suggested that 'humanity will keep its image and likeness of God if both male and female work as a body'. But many factors try to deny women their equal worth as people created in the image of God.
Nussbaum (2000:1) observed that women in much of the world lack support for the fundamental functions of a human life. In many nations, women are not fully equal under the law: they do not have the same property rights as men; unequal social and political circumstances offer women unequal human capabilities. To bridge this gender divide calls for an understanding of the essence of partnership.
It is God's purpose from creation
God's plan of differentiation of his creatures was not meant to be a disadvantage to others, but was meant to enrich one another. The whole of creation is immersed in community and interdependence. Beauty and splendour are manifested in the partnership of the created beings. God intended it so and the people created in God's image (women and men) are thus to live in the spirit of partnership. Unfortunately, one of the legacies of the Enlightenment paradigm in human history is the enthronement of 'autonomous individualism' and the neglect of community as a way of life. Autonomous individualism was not translated into gender equality with the result that patriarchalism affected society throughout the 19th century, as well as the first half of the 20th century, leaving the Church, for most of its structures, practices and mission, very male-oriented.2 Women have been the casualties of this development and it is therefore time we realised that because both men and women are baptised in Christ and are gifted by the spirit of mission and ministry, 'partnership of women and men, ordained or not, is the true image of the church of Christ' (Oduyoye 2001:86). The gifts of women and men are both necessary if the Church is to be whole and is to be the light of Christ to the world. As Rakoczy (2004) puts it:
Partnership means working together, sharing responsibility, calling forth each other's gifts, caring for the life of the community. It does not mean excluding men in order to affirm women's gifts. (p. 224)
This is why this article is pressing for partnership as a way of regaining our common humanity, restoring our community and also transforming God's creation, of which we are part. Mutuality is relevant only where partners recognise and respect each other; mutuality does not recognise paternalism. Once women are seriously acknowledged as partners, as the body of Christ, then we can build a new Church. We agree with Ramodibe (1989:18) when she points out that men and women need to cooperate on the basis of mutuality. We need mutuality to build a new human community where everybody belongs.
To foster community change
People who work in partnership can have an increased sense of power and determination to initiate change based on the knowledge they gain from the vastly different experiences and perspectives of their own members. Partnership can also put groups in a unique, powerful position to solve community problems in fighting crime and building developmental projects. One of the authors of this article, Ester Onwuta, remembers how, as Secretary of the local church Women's Guild3, she helped the Guild create awareness of the acute housing problem for the junior church workers, mobilising the men and women in the church to embark on a housing project which saved the community of believers from shame and unnecessary financial spending on rent. Partnership through collaboration with men can enable women do much for the Church and community.
Without partnership, it is almost impossible for any collaboration to take place. The old Israelite Prophet, Amos (Am 3:3), put it succinctly when he asked 'can two walk together without agreement?' Allen (1999:5) argues that the most effective way for the Church to effect social change in an urban context is to be what he labels a church with the city. This approach is incarnational and encourages the Church to enter into the life of the community and become partners with the community in addressing its needs. Yet, this kind of partnership requires sacrifice and risk that brings new challenges such as race, socio-economic differences, cultural and religious pluralism, and gender issues into the limelight.
However, we cannot build relationships without the understanding of our potential partners, and we cannot achieve that understanding without a form of communication that goes by way of conversation. Our mutual interdependence makes collaboration an imperative for mission and development. Mission, above all, means sharing: it is not that we have something to give and others have something to receive, but that there should be a 'fair balance' (2 Cor 8:13-14). The following story might be helpful in buttressing this point:
Some years ago, a group of British development workers was visiting the Sudan. They were told that the Sudanese pastors were in need of bicycles to make their rounds to the churches, and so they offered the church several hundred bicycles. The church was delighted with this offer, and asked what the church in the Sudan could do for Britain. 'Nothing', was the reply. 'Then we cannot accept these bicycles'. (Wickeri 2004:162)
Sharing in mission is a two-way street that involves both self-emptying and empowerment. Even in building relationships, we must accept that others have something to offer, for no one has the monopoly on knowledge. With this in mind, we find the principle of reciprocity to be an important tool in building partnership and developing democracy.
To strengthen democracy
Partnership helps to foster democracy. Politics and democracy are somehow interwoven, especially in the way we practice democracy in our context.
According to Kabeberi-Macharia (2004):
Despite the increasing popularity of the concept and practice of democracy, engendered democratic governance is yet to be achieved. One reason being that democracy as we know it, still falls almost exclusively within the domain of politics which comes within the traditional definition of politics which is characterized as male dominated, specific to the 'public sphere' and therefore not necessarily women friendly. Again inequities between men and women are glaringly obvious in governance institutions with the balance heavily tilted towards participation of men more than women in key decision-making positions. (p. 96)
Gender equality in governance is necessary to ensure that women have equal economic, social and political opportunities. The opinions and perceptions of women and men must be taken into account in formulating any decision or carrying forward any strategy (Kabeberi-Macharia 2004:97).
The views we are advocating here have implications for not only the nation - state, ethnic and tribal politics at various levels in Africa - but also for the state of women in democracy. Stressing the need to cultivate and deepen democracy and tolerance through dialogue and partnership amongst all citizens, both female and male, Eyo (1995) further asserts:
It is only in such a culture that leaders are tested and retained or thrown out according to the will of the people. It is only in such a culture that mistakes are made and corrected without social upheaval. It is only in such a culture that people are groomed to be tolerant of people of another language, colour, sex, ethnic group or clan, and to be able to give and take in periods of triumphs and failure. It is only in such a culture that Nigeria for instance can evolve to become a viable polity that inspires loyalty and patriotism. (p. 11)
The question is how a nation can enjoy democracy when its women are not allowed either to express their opinions or to participate or even contribute in matters affecting them? In a country where the majority of the population consists of women who face violence, poverty, illiteracy and inequality, how can democracy succeed? Most women hear about democracy but have never experienced it, either in their homes or in society at large. The way forward is thus only through genuine partnership.
Talking about polity, there is no gainsaying the fact that many of our Church structures are still authoritarian in practice and exclusive of some members, especially women. We need to democratise these structures so that men, women, boys and girls would freely unfetter their God-given talents and also participate in building a better society to God's delight. But as long as we fear and neglect partnership by excluding women from the key positions of leadership, autocracies and exclusions will continue to keep resources untapped, both in the Church and in the wider society.
To foster peace
Peace is both a condition for and a result of effective development. Without peace, we will find it difficult to bring about development; yet, the goal of development is to produce peace (Shalom). For instance, effective and fruitful development can be elusive if there is war in the village, yet in the midst of the war we need to identify with the suffering people in order to bring peace and hope to them. So, partnership is a fundamental component in the process of peace building. Peace building maintains human infrastructure for relationships that are harmonious, synergistic, cooperative, responsive and mutually beneficial. When people are divided by their differences, the patterns of relationships reinforce separation, fragmentation and divisiveness. Partnership between men and women provides a way of creating bridges across the chasms of our differences.
To foster innovation
Through the process of partnership we will be able to create our world and its future as we connect with one another, sharing knowledge and know-how and building relationships. When we consciously focus attention on 'questions that matter' - for our organisations and communities - we are contributing to the evolution of the knowledge that we need to co-create the future. We grow what we know individually and collectively using possibilities for mutual insight, innovation, and action that are already present, if only we are ready to look. The innovative possibilities of the future can only be realised in our communities, nations and the entire world if we are willing to partner with one another. And all the talk about African Union, the African Renaissance or the much-announced 'African century' becomes viable only if we can engage in innovative partnership. In order to understand and achieve better results in the struggles of our lives, church and communities, we will need to work in partnership with others, including women.
Ideals of partnership
There are a number of challenges one has to be on the lookout for, and be prepared to meet, for partnership to achieve its goal. Some of these challenges are mentioned and described in the subsections below.
Equality is one of the end products of the search for truth. When that truth is actively sought by women and men in the atmosphere of justice, it brings with it an even greater spiritual freedom (Kopas 1986:192). What this means is that there can be no freedom for any of us until there is freedom for all of us. Therefore, as long as women are not free to relate with men as equal partners in human enterprise, the freedom and progress that men seek will also remain elusive. According to Eme (2004:6): gender justice is a necessary condition for social progress especially in a world where women have been grossly exploited, alienated, hated, dehumanized and psychologically devastated.'
The spirit of equality in partnership can restore women's self-worth, which has been long denied by age-old gender injustice. We must repeat here that equality in partnership does not mean unhealthy rivalry but mutuality. And mutuality means that humans have a mission to one another. It is mutuality that makes development and progress possible in the sphere of inter-human relations. Mutuality and participation strengthen the life of the community and empower men and women in the struggle for a better human society. And for women, 'community is destroyed where there is no equality and mutuality' (Oduyoye 2001:85). Working as partners with one another requires that we begin with an affirmation of responsibility, solidarity and mutuality, both in the mission to humanity and our articulation of that mission. Otherwise, the whole process will sink into parallel monologues, never meeting at any point (Thangaraj 1997:58).
Effective partnership thrives in an atmosphere of transparency. Transparency requires that we approach and deal with one another with trust and openness. True partnership does not have any room for hide-and-seek games. Rather, it eliminates suspicion by opening the door for joint ownership of problems and solutions. Men need to be open, just as women should have nothing to hide.
Love and dignity
Love is fundamental in partnership. It is the virtue that causes us to engage in any human enterprise, not for what we shall get but for what we shall give for the success of it. This love is reciprocal, just as partnership is. It is known in self-giving and sacrifice. This is the type of love that Christian theologians call agape [Godly love]. Without it, all our efforts will amount to an effort in self-praise and emptiness. Men cannot engage in meaningful partnership with women if they do not have this Godly love.
Every person has something in themselves that makes them intrinsically human. This is the image of God which validates the humanity in us and, as such, deserves to be honoured and respected and not violated at any given time or place. As Peskett and Ramachandra (2003) explain:
There is no life so degraded, debased or impoverished that it does not deserve respect and is not worth defending with zeal and conviction. What finally makes a society worth living in is not the amount of consumer goods available in shopping malls, nor the effectiveness of its social welfare schemes, nor even the lack of discrimination in employment and education but the sense all people should have of being valued and appreciated by their neighbor. (p. 39)
In this case, partnering with women demands that they be treated with respect and their dignity upheld. Gone are those days when it was popular to say that 'women are to be seen and not to be heard'. Just as their physical presence counts, their voices should count even more. Our task is to listen to these voices so that our corporate lives can be further enriched.
But the fact is that many people - perhaps the majority -today do not have the means which would enable them to take their place in an effective and humanly dignified way:
They have no possibility of acquiring the basic knowledge that would enable them to express their creativity and develop their potential . their dignity is not acknowledged in any real way, and sometimes there is even [an] attempt to eliminate them from history through coercive forms of demographic control which are contrary to human dignity. (Powers 2003:119)
This is the situation in which many women find themselves. True partnership involves respect for other people and caring about their physical, mental and emotional well-being. We need to show that we care and that we are not simply exploiting one another. According to Daly (1994):
a second principle in Feminist Ethics is respect for life in whatever form it appears. Whether fetal life, the life of a friend, one's own life, the life of one whose intentions contradict one's own, or the life of a cow, it is worthy of respect and nurture. (p. 9)
Both at the root of and implied in the concept of partnership is the idea of diversity. According to McClure (1995:84) people live within certain 'frames'. Each individual has his or her own 'frame of reference'. Asserting the uniqueness and importance of our frames and how we get a 'footing' in a conversation, or how we hold on to our own footing, is very important. Sometimes we are content to fit into the frames provided by others. In a round table conversation, however, it is important that each member be given the opportunity to both resist and change the frame for discussion.
When such language is heard, it also empowers others to resist or change the frame. It means more than one voice, one opinion, one ideology and even one understanding about something. Ndungane (2004) writes:
What is at issue in our world today is whether one world view, one political stand point, one theological stance, one cultural perspective, overrules, is right, can assert dominance, and renders all other views inferior and illegitimate. Can we instead learn to comprehend that none of us has the monopoly on knowledge and understanding? More than that, our lives are enriched and our horizon expanded when we encounter other, authentic, expressions of human life, culture and spirituality. (pp. 162-163)
As brothers and sisters, we must face the call to develop an ethic of being 'together-in-difference'. The whole essence of partnership is defeated when we cease to entertain more than one view or understanding about how things are, or how things should be done.
By the very structure of our existence, we are beings that are in a 'partnership' mode of existence. We are those who go forth from ourselves and back to ourselves in our reflexive consciousness, interpret ourselves and, with a sense of accountability, take responsibility for our actions and ourselves. We are those who go forth from ourselves to others in our cultural creativity, interpret the world of peoples and cultures around us and, with a sense of accountability, take responsibility for others and our world. We are also those who go forth from ourselves to the natural world around us, interpret it and take responsibility for it. Thus, the mission of humanity is to take responsibility for ourselves, others and the world. It is, briefly, to say 'yes' to Cain's question: Am I my brother's (or sister's) keeper? (Thangaraj 1997:53). Put in another way, it is to accept that I am because others are -which is the meaning of the very popular traditional African expression of Ubuntu.
Solidarity is a check on 'solo' responsibility. This is because, without solidarity, responsibility has the danger of implying that it is something we do for others: we take responsibility for others (Thangaraj 1997:53). This is the problematic element in responsibility. We already know that human history is replete with tragedies resulting from humans taking responsibility for others. Part of the problem of our present world is the arrogance of the West, which derives from the so-called missionary and political doctrine of 'Manifest destiny' (Bosch 1991:298-300). Indigenous peoples and slaves were, almost without exception, treated as children and minors, especially in colonial times. Solidarity in partnership does not permit this type of unwarranted unilateralism, whether in domestic or public affairs. In large parts of Africa, as in many other societies, men have done incalculable harm to women because they were taking responsibility for them. Even parents can destroy their children's capabilities by overbearingly taking responsibility for them. We can no longer afford to continue in this type of world if we are to be in partnership with one another. Thus, we cannot define the mission of humanity in terms of responsibility alone. To this end, we agree with Thangaraj (1997:53), who argues that if the mission of humanity is an act of responsibility, it must be fulfilled in a mode of solidarity and accountability.
Problems of partnership
Yet, to achieve ideal partnership, many problems have to be dealt with accordingly. Some of these obstacles on the way to true partnership are described in the subsections below.
In partnership people need to trust one another. But if we want to develop trust, we first have to show that we ourselves can be trusted. Sometimes men fear that if women know what they know, they (men) will be out of business. A respondent in Baillie (2002:88) expressed this clearly: 'if you put women in the job the men will do nothing.' Many people fear and worry about the future more than the present. In the area of partnership, lack of trust produces the greatest fear.
But men who are worth their calling are not afraid of others, including women. Kennedy (1995) reminds us of the statement by the Nobel Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma (Mayanmar), in her key note address to an NGO Forum:
In societies where men are truly confident of their own worth, women are not merely 'tolerated', they are valued. Their opinions are listened to with respect; they are given their rightful place in shaping the society in which they live. (p. 124)
Thus, sincere partnership builds trust and confidence in place of fear.
Violence and domestic violence
If there is one issue that unites women all over the world, it is the threat of violence. From the helpless victim of war to the wife living in the supposed safety of her home, and from babies to grandmothers, women are living in increasingly dangerous times. (Munyakho 1998:1)
The UN Declaration on violence against women, which was formulated at the 4th UN World Conference on Women, held in Beijing, China in 1995, defines violence as:
... any act of gender based violence that results in or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life. (cited in Scott 1999:338-339)
Amongst the many notorious forms of violence against women is rape. Rape is a serious tool used by some men to create obstacles for women for many reasons. Nussbaum (2000:30) cites how rape is used as a weapon against women crusading for political change. Much violence against women in Nigeria and other parts of the world result from the cultural prejudices and stereotypes in the baggage men hold about them. Elizabeth Amoah (1996:80) states that in many cultures a woman 'is seen as an object for unlimited access'. It is forgotten that a woman is more than her body; she is a person of dignity and worth, with an intellect, reason, a will to choose and her own desires.
The fact is that violence against women hinders progress, but working in partnership through 'facilitated dialogues' can foster new, respectful relationships, informed by a deepened understanding of the role of prejudice and stereotyping in discriminatory behaviour. Partnership and networking can help all to understand others better and to develop a commitment to fight against our personal, cultural and institutional prejudices and stereotypes such as classism, sexism and racism. This is not a task that women can achieve alone and we must point out that there are men, all over the world, who are against violence and the dehumanising treatment of women and who have started movements to stop it.
During Esther Onwunta's six-month study of human rights in Sweden in 2005, she had the opportunity to do field work in a Women's Help Centre in Falun. This is a centre where abused women are cared for and her experience in this centre confirms the fact that the issue of violence against women is not just an African affair but a global one. The centre was established more than 20 years ago when violence against women increased like wildfire in Sweden. Although Swedish women have been creating awareness through different organisations, Ester was told about an unprecedented achievement of 'The Men's Network'. According to the staff of the Women's Help Centre, a remarkable event took place in Piteá, a city in northern Sweden. In November 2004, a hunter was badly injured by a bear and all other hunters agreed that they should look for the bear and kill it. A week later, a woman was brutally murdered by her husband and a man asked: 'Should we all look for the man and kill him?' From there, they established an organisation to fight violence against women, which has been successful and has created a lot of awareness on the subject. This story points to the need for partnership to combat violence against women.
Patriarchy and religious beliefs
Patriarchy and its related discrimination against women is a major obstacle to partnership between men and women. The patriarchal system refers to power relations in society where men act in collusion in order to keep their dominant positions. The patriarchal structure in family relations has been mirrored in the structures of the Church and society. Women are expected to submit to patriarchal authority which denies them access to positions of authority. Thus, the system and its operation has oppressed women socially, politically, economically and even in the Church (Mwaura 1999:56). Patriarchal structures exclude women from the decision-making processes, as shown through the empirical research discussed earlier. As Kang (2004) points out, this exclusion of women can also be because:
The patriarchal socialization of women has conditioned them to think, act, and re-act as second class members of the church and women are socialized to believe that they are good by accepting the dominant male view of how women ought to act. Women have internalized the patriarchal message that behaviour accepted by society, the institutional church, and its leaders is what constitutes a 'good woman' or a 'good Christian' and that any other conduct is displeasing to God. In this manner, women are not even aware that they are absorbing patriarchy into their systems. (p. 7)
Thus, in the Church and society, both culture and scriptural hermeneutics have conspired to consign women to the uncomfortable positions in which they find themselves today. Kanyoro (2002:17) therefore calls for a gender analysis of African culture and the practices of the Church in Africa.
Because this hermeneutic is needed now, we have to begin listening to women, for, according to Powers (2003):
Unless we listen, any action we may take in this area, no matter how well intentioned, is likely to bypass the real concerns of women and to confirm female condescension and reinforce male dominance. Listening, in a spirit of partnership and equality, is the most practical response we can make and is the foundation for our mutual partnership to reform unjust structures. (p. viii)
This therefore implies a cultural revolution and a radical overhauling of the entire hermeneutical enterprise we now know. What this also means is that both tradition and the Bible will remain sites of the struggle, as well as of the resources in that struggle. It is a task that must be faced with all the energies that we can muster so that true partnership can thrive in our communities. In the end, a dialogic approach is desirable to accommodate the varieties of modes of self-expression by women (Kolawole 1998:5). Men are not left out in this all important task because we know that men and women are enriched by coming together. By means of the relationship progress is made by keeping together, whilst it is working together that brings success! Indeed, it is not enough to keep together in the same society or church. It is not even a matter of one group handing over to, or taking over from the other. Men and women must work together in a sense of mutual respect and dignity. In this way we can learn to use our varied characteristics appropriately and to blend our different energies into the best mix for the most creative response to gender stereotyping. We all belong to the same human family regardless of our sexes. We should treat one another with respect and dignity so that the world will be a better place in which to live (Nelson 1978:102). This is about engaging in justice ministries and engendering gender justice that gives security to all.
The greatest source of insecurity is lack of belief in oneself, whilst the benchmark of security is the development of personal skills and ability. Security therefore comes not by trusting in any external power but by believing in, and operating with, the power of God that works in us as human beings. We know from history that many human oppressors have tried to destroy this sense of security in their fellow humans by robbing them of this confidence in self. Even today, there are still many people who do not want others to have this confidence which flows from a sense of self-esteem. They have continued to make their victims believe that they are nobodies and would want them to continue operating from that position in life. The apartheid legacy in South Africa, with which the society is still struggling today, is a clear example. Until the sense of insecurity is eliminated, there can be no sense of true partnership amongst the citizens in the country - whether they are men or women.
Unequal access to resources
Scholars have observed that political finance has a decisive effect on the very operations and the quality of democracy in every country (Ojo 2006:1). The Political party finance handbook cited by Ojo (2006) points out that:
In emerging democracies such as Nigeria, the highly monetized political culture coupled with the desperation of politicians to win elections at all cost has its attendant demand on huge election financial outlay. (p. 1)
According to Ojo (2006:1), most women in Nigeria do not have equal access to funds to enable them to participate actively in politics at all levels with their male counterparts. As a result, Nigerian politics, to a certain degree, remains the affair of men. Huge election financial outlay coupled with unequal access to funds is a great hindrance to women's partnership in Nigerian politics.
Inadequate education
It is evident that women do not share equal space with men in many spheres of life because of poor education and therefore this is another obstacle to true partnership. The value of formal education as a tool for individual and societal development is well recognised in many African countries. But the reality shows that women lag behind because of a number of factors. Mwaura (1999) has described women's conditions in Kenya:
The sluggish growth of the Kenyan economy and other factors such as repeated droughts, global recession, rising incidence of HIV/AIDS as well as ... factors such as low morale, lack of commitment and accountability, have all contributed to the stunting of educational progress. This has to some extent affected female education, although the gender ratio of 49:51 still remains unaffected. Relatively more girls than boys exit from primary school. (p. 50)
This scenario is not only seen in Kenya but also in many parts of Nigeria and South Africa, where women remain unequal to men with regard to formal education. An early exit from school with the resultant poor education partly explains why women trail behind men in many areas of human development, including partnership in public and private affairs.
The following may be regarded as the summative points arising from this article:
Development means different things to different people and involves people, on the one hand, and the factors of production and organisation on the other. However, the overriding normative principles in the development debate are the aspects of participation, empowerment and people-centeredness in development. Development is for people, amongst whom the entrapment of women and children as a result of culture, development theories and policies is the most pronounced.
Development from a Christian perspective is normative as it is regarded as transformational development. According to this perspective, development is God's intention and engagement with the anti-creation to restore creation and people from what they are, into what they should be, according to his own purpose. Even the relation between men and women has been distorted by sin and needs to be restored into true partnership in our personal relationships and in our societal structures, as God has ordained it.
Partnership is an imperative for progress in the Church and community. With particular reference to the Church, ministry as partnership is necessary not only for the Church as koinonia but also to enable the Church to provide a model for society, which is grappling with the same issues of shared responsibility and accountability between its leaders and its people.
Genuine partnership thrives when the ideals of equality, mutuality, transparency, love, diversity and accountability are upheld and not compromised.
Yet we know that true partnership is costly; there is no such thing as cheap partnership. And, being a costly venture, the price for partnership can only be paid by the brave and the courageous. Yet, the Church is called by God to affect transformation through genuine partnership in and through Jesus Christ - even in the sphere of development. Ultimately, men and women have this mutual vocation in life and in our created reality to deal with fear, violence, patriarchy, the sense of insecurity and other problems related to the anti-creation, which have hitherto hindered progress and made our partnership a dream yet to be realised. We are all called by God to be partners in our search for freedom and a better human community.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationship(s) which may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Authors' contributions
E.O. (University of Stellenbosch) was the doctoral student of K.T.A. (University of Stellenbosch), as such, she assisted in writing this article. She also did most of the basic research for it, including spending six months on a study programme in
Sweden, for which K.T.A. was the coordinator. Unfortunately, she passed away before this article could be published.
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Correspondence to:
Karel August
Faculty of Theology, 171 Dorp Street,
Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
Received: 18 Apr. 2011
Accepted: 27 Sept. 2011
Published: 18 Apr. 2012
© 2012. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS OpenJournals. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Note: In memory of Ester Onwunta, who passed away in 2011.
This article is published in the section Practical Theology of the Society for Practical Theology in South Africa.
1. Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth is the Executive Secretary of the Department of Partnership of Women and Men of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC).
2. The argument here is about 'one of the legacies of the Enlightenment', in order not to ignore the impact of patriarchal society on women's development.
3. The Women's Guild is an arm in the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria that embraces all the women. It often is called the Mothers' Union or Women's Fellowship in other churches.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans generally avoided talk of replacement measures on Tuesday as they mobilized for an election-season vote to repeal the health care law that stands as President Barack Obama's signature domestic accomplishment.
Instead, they lambasted the 2-year-old law as a threat to the nation's economic recovery and predicted some Democrats would join them in repudiating it.
"This is nothing short of economic malpractice," said Rep. Nan Hayworth of New York, citing tax increases, government mandates and other items in the law. "We can and we must do better."
She did not elaborate, nor did any of the members of the leadership in their remarks to reporters after the meeting.
Republican officials said the general reluctance to sketch any sort of alternative resulted from a desire to focus public attention on the health care law itself. It generally fares poorly in public polling, both nationally and in surveys of independent voters.
In addition, they said that while many Republicans ran on a slogan of "repeal and replace" in 2010, the rank and file is far from united around any precise alternative.
Republicans in both houses have suggested numerous measures in recent years to remake parts of the sprawling health care system. The last time the party offered a full-fledged legislative alternative was in 2009, meaning that none of the dozens of first-termers elected in 2010 were involved in its drafting.
That measure called for capping medical malpractice judgments, allowing insurance companies to sell policies across state lines and permitting small businesses to pool together to purchase coverage for their employees.
It also would have provided funds to the states to help maintain high-risk insurance pools for people with pre-existing conditions, for whom insurance is otherwise either unavailable or prohibitively expensive.
Taken together, Republicans said at the time their alternative would have reduced federal health care costs as well as the deficit. It also shunned the government mandates at the heart of the law that eventually passed.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the GOP alternative of three years ago would have contributed to a reduction in premiums, particularly for individual policies and those covering small groups.
At the same time, the CBO, an impartial arbiter, estimated it would have left the percentage of legal residents without coverage unchanged at the end of a decade, a sharp contrast to the reductions envisioned in the Democratic legislation then taking shape.
Nor would it have required insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions or make other changes included in the law that passed.
In the run-up to Wednesday's vote, Democrats sought political advantage in the lack of a Republican alternative.
"What the Republicans are really doing this week is to try to repeal health care reform and protections against insurance company abuses," said Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, the senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee.
He said repeal of the legislation would eliminate an existing guarantee on coverage for those with pre-existing medical conditions, raise out of pocket costs for seniors with high prescription drug expenses, reinstate annual and lifetime benefit caps and jettison a requirement allowing children up to age 26 to remain on their parents' coverage.
But given the evident unpopularity of the current law, Republicans have appeared eager to avoid any association with any part of it — or even the monthslong process that produced it.
"We will not push through a 2,700-page bill the American people can't afford and don't want," Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming said in the weekly Republican address a few days after the Supreme Court had upheld the constitutionality of the law.
"Unlike President Obama, we will not cut deals behind closed doors to protect special interest groups, or include political carve-outs for some states at the expense of others. … Republicans in Congress are committed to a step-by-step approach that's focused on lowering the cost of care."
In his remarks, Barrasso advocated several of the provisions contained in the alternative Republican alternative from 2009.
Despite the political maneuvering, the outcome of the vote Wednesday is scarcely in doubt.
All Republicans are expected to support the repeal legislation. McCarthy did not offer an estimate of the number of Democrats who would vote with the Republicans.
The measure faces certain death in the Senate, where Democrats hold a majority, and Obama recently declared the law is "here to stay" following a ruling by the Supreme Court that it is constitutional.
Even so, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said during the day he hopes for a vote on the House bill later this year.
Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.


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News & Notes: Game 94
Saturday, July 16, 2011 (6:05 p.m.) – Frontier Field
TV: Time Warner Cable SportsNet 13
Radio: WWKB AM 1520, bisons.com
Buffalo Bisons (40-53, T4th(-15.0), North)
RHP Chris Schwinden (6-3, 3.07)
Rochester Red Wings (35-57, 6th(-19.5), North)
RHP Andrew Baldwin (4-7, 5.55)
TODAY'S GAME: Tonight, the Buffalo Bisons host the Rochester Red Wings in the first game of a two-game series at Frontier Field (6:05 p.m.). The Herd is coming off a two-game sweep of the Wings at Coca-Cola Field to begin the season's second half. After Sunday's contest, the Bisons will move along the I-90 for a four-game series in Syracuse.
VS. THE RED WINGS: The Bisons are 6-4 against their closest rivals this season. The clubs split a pair of four-game sets earlier this season before Buffalo's two-game sweep this week. The last time Buffalo played a two-game series at Frontier Field they swept the Red Wings by scores of 6-4 and 16-1 on September 5-6, 2010.
SCHWING AND MISS: RHP CHRIS SCHWINDEN makes his team-high 17th start of the season tonight. The righty is also making his first appearance since working a 1-2-3 inning on seven pitches in Wednesday's Triple-A All-Star Game. Schwinden ranks 6th in the IL with a 3.07ERA and also leads the Bisons with six wins and 81 strikeouts. In his last four starts, Schwinden is 3-0 with a 2.77ERA and 24 strikeouts in 26.0 innings of work.
1-2 PUNCH: INF VAL PASCUCCI (4RBI) and INF LUIS HERNANDEZ (3RBI) combined to drive in seven of Buffalo's eight runs last night. Pascucci leads the Bisons with 55RBI on the season with Hernandez second at 41RBI. Pascucci has averaged .299 (23-77) with runners in scoring position this season while Hernandez had hit at a .301 (25-83) clip in the same situation.
CLOSER: RHP DALE THAYER earned saves in each of the last two nights and now has converted his last eight save opportunities. The veteran now has nine saves of the year. The last Bisons reliever to post 10 or more saves in a season was RHP Elmer Dessens during the 2009 season.
BISONS BITS: C RAUL CHAVEZ brings a seven-game hit streak into tonight's game, over which he has averaged .375 (9-24)…OF JESUS FELICIANO averages a strikeout every 18.13 plate appearances, the best ratio in the International League…With a double and a home run last night, INF VALENTINO PASCUCCI now has 33 extra-base hits this year, 8 more than any other Bison.
METS UPDATE: The Mets (46-46) lost to the Phillies last night by a 7-2 score. All-Star OF CARLOS BELTRAN homered in the defeat. Former Bisons RHP R.A. DICKEY fell to 4-8 on the year after allowing four runs in seven innings of work. The Mets host the Phillies again this afternoon at 4:10 p.m.


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First, we have to agree on something — summer is not over. It's only August and we could see warm sunny days all the way through to October.
Rather than just giving up on the garden, now's the perfect time to give your garden a lift, especially if you're planning a special event; perhaps a party or a wedding, or maybe you're trying to sell your home and want to improve its curb appeal.
Pumping up the garden in August — when it starts to flag and look a little tired — is easy to do.
Far from being depleted of quality stock, garden centres are brimming with first-rate summer colour plants at their peak right now.
And what's really great is that these plants are usually in bigger sizes, making them ideal for popping into borders and flower beds to give the impression they have been there all along.
There is another upside to this idea of giving the garden a second wind.
Very often, garden centres start to offer special discounts right now to move inventory. My son tells me he recently picked up a beautiful standard fuchsia, normally priced at $89.99, for only $26.97.
Danny and Alfred Kwan at Western Independent Greenhouses (WIG) in Burnaby are seeing a lot of customers buying colour plants to give their garden a boost.
"Zinnias are always popular and we have a wide range of colours available. They are perfect for dropping into borders to give a splash of colour," says Alfred.
Other excellent pump-it-up plants include coleus, marigolds, pelargoniums, lobelia, arctotis, heuchera and a whole range of ornamental grasses, especially the popular Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima).
But what many people are doing to raise the impact of their garden a notch is buying inexpensive ready-made containers that can be placed on a deck or balcony or by the front door or dropped into a hole where a plant has finished or died in the flower border.
Part of the appeal of these containers is that they often feature perennials such as rudbeckia, salvia, echinacea and ornamental grasses that can easily be broken up and planted in the garden in fall.
"It's a great way of getting double duty out of your plants," says Alfred. "You get to enjoy them in the container for weeks and weeks, and then you can recycle them into the garden where you have them for another year.
"We call them A&E (affordable and elegant) containers because we put a collection of fresh plants together rather than selling them as singles and they don't require a lot of heat at this time of year to maintain them; so we can pass on the savings. And they look terrific."
As a house gift, these containers, which are available from $20 to $50, make excellent presents because, unlike a bouquet of flowers, they are already in a container. That takes the pressure off the host or hostess when you present them, but also brings pleasure the following year when the plants re-bloom.
Many gardeners pull a little trick to make their gardens look lusher than they really are in the dog days of summer by growing plants in containers in the wings and then moving the container into a dead spot in summer.
Placed carefully, these pots are not visible and the plants can appear to be growing naturally in the ground.
Hostas, with their great foliage, are particularly useful plants for growing in containers for this purpose.
The key to injecting fresh colour plants into the late-summer border is to make their arrival seem as natural and unobtrusive as possible.
You need to sneak them in as surreptitiously as possible to make them look as if they have always been there.
Instant gratification is the order of the day.
Nobody has time to wait weeks and weeks for juvenile plants to mature.
The need at this stage of the game is for instant fillers — plants that take the place of a faded bloomer and look fantastic immediately. Ed Leong, of Leong's Nursery in Burnaby, is well aware of the need for second-wave replacement plants.
He has a whole range of winter vegetables available for use as "a second crop."
Some of them, such as red cabbage and red-leaf lettuce, can also add colour to a flagging flower bed.
"We also have lots of fall pansies available for filling gaps and giving planters a boost," he says.
Dahlias, especially the dark-foliage kinds, are another popular choice as perfect gap fillers along with coleus, which is available in a wide range of foliage colours from burgundy to orange, red to purple-green.
Oriental lilies such as 'Star Gazer' and 'Casa Blanca,' are especially useful for delivering spot colour and fragrance.
They are one of the best second-wind plants for a garden that's starting to run out of steam.
Given a little lift, a garden can sail through the rest of summer, by which time it is not at all unusual to find roses, perennials and some shrubs producing a second wave of blooms during the cooler days of September.
But for many gardeners, the challenge right now is to press the "refresh" button.


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Well, this morning I took the boys back to the pediatrician for what I was hoping would be their last lung re-check. She listened to Zak first and said his lungs sounded much better. She could hear some crackles & congestion, but as soon as he coughed it went away. So he is doing what he needs to do to help the antibiotics get rid of all the junk in there.
Then she listened to Ryder. I told her his runny nose was worse and he was coughing more. She heard several crackles in his lungs and even when he coughed she said it didn't get any better. His pulse ox was fine and respiratory rate was also normal which are both good signs. She decided to go ahead and give him an antibiotic and send us to get a chest x-ray. I just got a call from the pediatrician saying he definitely has junk in his lungs and it is borderline pneumonia so hopefully the antibiotics will help get rid of that. We have also noticed a trend with Ryder that is slightly concerning...he has never really been able to have a productive cough and get the junk out of his lungs which leads to the several bouts of pneumonia. The pediatrician said it could have to do with his low muscle tone.
Tomorrow is the last day for oral steroids for both of them. Zak has 6 more days of antibiotics and Ryder has 10 days of antibiotics. The pediatrician wants to re-check both of their lungs the beginning of next week and hopefully that will be the last for a while.
Onto a slightly different topic...I got a call the other day from the Immunologist at Johns Hopkins. Ryder's Geneticist wants him to see this Immunologist since he seems to get several infections along with the fact that he had that rare H.Influenzae Non-Typable back when he was 9 months old. I was shocked to get a call from the actual Immunologist. She was calling to ask me to send all of his shot records, any immune system blood work he has had, along with all appointment notes when he went to the pediatrician with a sickness. Before I had a chance to say anything she said she realizes that is a lot of information, but it will be helpful to her. Once she receives all of that information I will get another call to set up the appointment to see her at Hopkins.


text:
Here's the scenario:
A user clicks on a tag which takes them to a list of all those posts with that tag. There are hundreds of posts, so the user needs a way to filter these.
Here's the question:
How would you build a drop down that a user can select to filter by category while on the tag page. Filter all Yellow tags by Color category for instance.
Also the reverse would be useful. Searching the Color category and filtering by the tag Yellow.


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We will complete four loops around the park - 3 miles at 3.5 to 4.0 mph pace.
Walking is a great way to burn calories, become fit, relieve stress and just have FUN!!!
Join us for a brisk walk around Nottingham Park in west Houston between Dairy Ashford and Kirkwood.
The walk won't be too difficult, but will be faster than a leisurely "walk in the park". For those who would like to incorporate a slow run mixed in with walking, we can mix the two.
If you need to meet up with us later, you can CALL or TEXT me.
I'm usually pacing around getting steps nearby so just call me.